Train-stop for electric railways.



No. 875,028. PATENTED DEC. 31, 1907. E. WOLTMANN.

TRAIN STOP FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23, 1907.

entrance @FFJIQE ERNST WOLTMANN, OF NEW YOR K,.N'. Y.

TRAIN-STOP FQR ELEGTRIG RAILWAYS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 31, 1907.

lApplication filed February 23. 1907. 'Qeiial No. 358.989.

To all 107mm it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNST WOLTMANN, a

citizenof the United States, residing at'NeW York city, in the county of New l'ork and State of New York,havo invented certain new and useful Improvements in Train-Stops -lor Electric Railways, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My lllYOlll-LOH relates to electric railway installation's in which the power is supplied through a third rail or trolley, the usual track rails being hrs-dc use of for 'a ground return. In installations of thisv sort it s quite a common practice to have the third rail or trolley lllfl-L e sectional with insulating joints at certain intervals so that the differout sections may be separately charged oi electrified from the power mains. By this construction it is possible to exert a certain control'overthe train for example, to stop any trainin any section by cutting off the electric power therefrom. In some cases this is done automaticallybyia connection with the semaphore signal system,- and in other cases it is done b switches at stations of the road.- But injall aware where the third rail or trolley issectionally electrified, it has been at the sacrifice of its function asa current carrying means for the electric system. It is evident that an electric road is a power transmission 'system in/which the electric energy is, carried through long distances in a conductor, and

as the third rail has great current'carrying capacity, it is extremely advantageous to make use of it "for actually transmitting the current of the s stem fromthedistant point, as'we1lasit's o vious function of furnishing a contacting member for a train at any-partioular point.

In carrying out the present invention I aim tosecure all the features of asectionally electrified third rail or trolley, and at the. same time utilize all the/possibilities of the third rail as a line conductor for transmitting 3 the ower. I =T e. drawing shows diagrammatically an arrangement ofcircuits and-parts embodyin the principles of my invention.

. railway having a third rail or conductor for cation of the sections is under the control of It is to. be understood the signal apparatus.

cases, so'far as I- am the springs 10.

have shown the invention applied to a' that this is merely an illustrative application' of the real invention. The invention, however, has particular advantages when used with a signal system-in this way, in that it constitutes-a very effective train stop to enforce. the observance ofthe semaphore signals at danger; It will be seen from the later description that notwithstanding this sectional construction, andtrain stop. function, that the third rail is normally in a coirdition to carry all or nearly all ofthc line current, so that its great capacity ior'this purpose I is fully. utilised, and additional con ductors or feeders are rendered unnecessary.

Referring to the drawingspl indicates the running rails of a railroad, which 1nay be sectionally insulated from one anotluu" at 2',

in the usual way.forthcopei'ation of the block signals andflsr-nnaphore apparatus. I 3, denotes the third rail whichjis also divided into sections insulated from one. an-

other. Three sections. are shown, denominated 3, 3 and 3". These different sections a're'nct only insulated from one another, but have between them a small andseparately insulated section 4-.

At everyipoint'where the third rail is in terrupted. by the insulated section 4,, there are leads 5 and: 6, which arefnormally, connected together by a suitable switch v7. These switches may bev of any ordinary or approved construction, and n1 themselves "constitute nop'art of'the present invention. Their function is tofnormally connect the 'leads5 and 6 together, so that the third rail is electrically continuous throughout its length under normal conditions. 4

The switches 7 re capable of being opened by aQ magnet operated release or detent. The essential characteristic of this release or detent is that it is operated by'e'ither of two separate circuits. "1 have shown theswitches 7 impelled into circuit openingrel'ati'on bysprings. 8, and normally restrained from suchmoveme nt bydetefnts 9, tensioned by '11 and 12 denoteelectromagnets, either 'of-which when energized attracts the detente so as to allow the switch [to open itscircuit. The magnets 1 1 and 12 are interconnectedin such away that two switches a the terminals 'of any third rail section are simultaneously operated so as to disconnect the third rail; section from thepower circuit. A- convenient circuit for this purpose is formed as follows: from each of the'insulated sections 4:"(lf the third rail,

through wire 1, magnet 12, wirel, contact devices 1 wire 1 ma met 11 wires 1 and 2 r k a 1 to ground, Since this circuit includes magnet 12 'of one switch 7, and the magnet 11 of the next adjacent switch 7, both switches are simultaneously opened in case current passed therethrough. The current is obtained from the collector shoe of a passing train which is in such a circuit on the train as to be electrified to the line voltage, even although it is temporarily out of contact with an electrified section of the third rail. 'lhus when the first collector shoe of the train passes on to an insulated section 4, such insulated section is raised to the line voltage, and current 'llows, provided the circuit is not broken at the point 1. The switches 7 at both ends of any third rail section. are, therefore, simultaneously actuated to open the circuit of said third rail section the instant a train passes thereon. unless this action is prevented by any desired means interrupting the controlling circuit, as above indicated. The means which I have illustrated for controlling the actuation of theseswitchcs is merely diagrammatic, bein given for the purpose of illustration. Eac

semaphore arm 13, has an extension 14, to impe contact springs 15 and 16, into engagement whenever the semaphore arms are at danger, so as to close the switch controlling pircilit at the points 1". Thus when any train passes a semaphore at danger, the section of the third rail in advance of the train is merely deene'rgized in the manner already described, and the train is automatically stopped. After the switches 7 have been opened, they maybe re-closed in any des red way, for example, by handles 17 thereon, which constitute a form of manual means for this purpose. The particular circuits and connections by which the semaphore signals are operated may, of course, be of the usual or any desired. descri tion'. In the drawing the circuits by which the danger semaphores are set are shown in detail, but

as these features in themselves constitute no part of the present invention, a detailed description of them may be omitted."

An additional featureof the invention lies in having leads or connections 18, which extend from the switches 7, to a common feeder or main 19, extending throughout trains run them, and the actuation of a train stop to two, three or four-track installations, a conduetor 19 may be made common to all thetracks, so that a proportionate saving is effected." I

It is to be understood that the separate conductor. or main 19 is not absolutely necessary, because it is not expected that the by danger signals set against enforce a danger signal is an event so unusual and so serious that the stoppage of all thetrains of the line thereby is not 'of such great relative importance. By using the additional main or'conduetor 19, however,

the capacity of the switches 7 is not required to be nearly as great as'would otherwise be necessary.

While I to rendering the sections of the third rail wholly dener ized, or non-electrified, I do not desire to imit m self in this way, because in some cases it Is desirable to have the third rail feebly electrified at all times, it being merely reduced in voltage enough to secure the stoppage of the train. -'This can be readily accomplished by the use of resistances R, as clearly shown in the figure. What I-clai'm, is:' 1. In an electric railway system, a sectional power rail or trolley wire normally constituting a line conductor for thepower current transmission and at every point ofvits length forming art of the maincurrentcarrying'circuit for a l the trains of the entire system, danger signals corresponding to the terhave referred in this description v minations of the sections, and means actuated conjointly by a signal at danger and a train passing on to the section protected by such signal, for lowering the potential of said section without interfering with the current carrying function of the remainder of the' rail or trolley wire.

2. In an electric railway system, a sectional power rail, or trolley wire normall electrically continuous throughout its length and constituting a line conductor for the power current transmission, and at every point of its length forming partof the main current carrying circuit for all the trains of the entire system, means for rendering an selected, section tem orarily non-electrifie and 'a separate con uctor for carrying the line current temporarily past any such non-' electrified section.

'3. In ah electricrailway system, a sectional power railor trolley wire normally electrically continuous throughout its length and constituting a line conductor for the power current transmission, and at every point of itslength forming part'of the main current carrying circuit for allthe trains of the entire system, short insulated sections located between the main sections of saidrail or trolley wire, and circuit connections from said Insulated sections for cutting out emcee fi an adjacent main section from the power 'cuits from said short sections operated to cii'cuit.. a cutout the adjacent main sectlon of the 4. In an electric railway system, a secpower rail or trolley wire when said circuits tional power rail or trolley wire normally are completed.

5 electrically continuousthroughout its length In witness whereof, I subscribe my signaand ,constituting a line conductior for the ture, in the presence of two witnesses. .power current transmission, an at every I point-of its'length forming part of the main ERNST WOLTMANN' current carrying circuit for all the trains of Witnesses:

1c the entire system, short insulated sections WALDO M. CHAPIN,

between the-main sections, and electric cirt ALFRED W. PROOTOR. 

